Machine for operating on heels



C. A.- BLISS.

MACHINE FOR OPERATING 0N HEELS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 21,1918.

Patented Aug. 31, 1920.

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CHARLES A. BLIS$, OF BEADFURD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSICTNOR TO UNITED SHOE MACHINERY oonroanrron, or nan NEW JERSEY.

JERSEY, A CORPORATION DIE MACHINE FOB, OPERATING- ON HEELS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 31, 1920.

Application filed January 21, 1918. Serial No. 213,045.

To all whom it may corwcrn:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES A. Brass, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bradford, in the county of Essex and State of h lassachusetts, have invented certain Tmprovements in Machines ror Operating on Heels, ofwhich the following description, in connection with the accompanying: drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to machines for operating upon the heels of shoes and especially to the feeding mechanism of such apparatus is the subject of Patent No. 1,077,929, Glidden, Nov. 4-, 1913. In these heel pricking machines, the heels are advanced one by one to the awls and associated clamping mechanism through successive oscillations of a lever which contacts with the outer heel of a series supported upon a horizontal guideway. As there is a heel-holding follower which engages the heel seat portion of the work in the pricking position to resist the thrust of the awls, it has been cus tomary to reduce the height of the guide plate which forms the wall of the guideway at the heel seat end, so that the follower may pass over it into contact with the heels. This lack of support, particularly with certain types of heels, sometimes causes them to tip on the guideway before being clamped by the heel fork and engaged by the fol} lower, and they are consequently incorrectly pricked.

To prevent such displacement and mutilation of the work, an object of my invention is to support the heels in the clamping and follower-enp aginp; position at such a height that the danger of tipping); is obviated. One way of attainingthis object is to inter-pose a guide member between the holding; means and the work, said guide being preferably adapted to conform to the cooperatingsurface of the holding means and work, it being shown as flexible, thus avoiding interference with the holding means.

A further object of theinvention is to make the guide effective for all the heels of the series between the supply and pricking positions. This may be accomplished in the manner I have chosen to illustrate, in which the guide member is attached to the feeding member and extends for substantially the full length of the series. The

flexible guide, previously referred to, lends itself to this object, and there is also preferably provided an extensible connection for the guide whereby the movement of the feeding member will not be interfered with and theg'uide may be maintained in its proper position.

Another object of the invention is to adapt the guide for cooperation with heels of different dimensions, and to this end I support the guide for movement with respect to the heels in a plurality of directions. l Vith the fl xible guide member an independent adjustable retaining means for each extremity of the guide is provided.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure l is a top plan View of a portion of a pricking machine to which is applied one embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is transverse vertical section on the line 22 of 1; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of my improved guide member and its retaining means, with the machine elements to which it is directly connected.

The machine in which this invention is illustrated is substantially that of the patent previously referred to. Of this well-known between a templet mounted at 12 and a reciprocatory follower 14, by a fork 15 arranged tomove verticallytoward and from the heel WlllClliS in the pricking position.

i The usual feedino' lever 15 oi the machine is moved with the follower through the agency of a cam slot 18 formed in the lever and cooperating: with a projection 20 reciprocating with the follower mechanism. At the opposite end of the lever 16 from its fulcrum is a yieldablc contact portion 22 which effects the feeding operation. Carried upon a bracket 24 supported at the feed end of the guideway is a plate 26, which, in machines of this class, supports'the heel seat ends of the heels as they are advanced to pricking position, reduced portion 28 of this plate extending; just above the supporting surface opposite the templet to allow the follower 14: to move over it into engagement with the heel being operated upon. The opposite side of the guideway has a supporting wall furnished by the templet,

the frame in which it moves and an extension therefrom, as in the machine of the Glidden patent.

As has already been pointed out, some heels, for example those of considerable pitch, tend to tip upon the guideway, especially when opposite the reduced portion 28 of the guide plate. This is effectively prevented by my improved guide member, which, as here shown, consists of a wire or other flexible member 30 extending above the horizontal surface of the guideway and substantially parallel thereto near the guide plate 26. .At the discharge or delivery extremity of the guideway' is a guide=retaining or supportingmember in the form of a rod 32 in an opening in the end of which the wire 30 is fastened. This rod passes through a lateral opening in a bolt 34 carried in a bore at the upper end of a bracket 36 bolted at 38 to the frame of the machine. Upon the opposite side of the bracket from the rod 32 the bolt has a nut i0 by which the retaining rod 32 is clamped. lVlie'n this nut is loosened the angle of the rod may be varied by turning the bolt in the bore and the extension of the wire-retaining end of the rod may be altered by sliding it through the opening in the bolt. By this means the height of this extremityof the wire above the heel-supporting surface and the dis tance of said wire from the opposite side of the guideway maybe adjusted to adapt it for cooperation with heels of diiferent lengths from breast to rear and of different heights;

The wire 3O preferably goes the full length of the series of heels between the pricking and supporting positions, and at the latter extremity may be joined to the feeding member 16 by variable connections which allow this portion of the guide mem= her to be adjusted to correspond to the other end. I have shown this connection as provided by a pin 4-2 fitting in one of a series of verticalopenings 4-4- in the feeding lever 16, this series extending longitudinally of the lever. As regards the height of the heels, the movement of the pin 42 to one or another of the openings 454: furnishes the necessary adjustment, while to vary thisextremity of the guide member to correspond to the length of the heels, the loop 45 in the end of the wire which is passed over the pin may be moved vertically upon the latter, the frictional engagement between the two elements being sufficient to retain the wire at the point to which it is moved.

To allow the movement of the feeding lever in spite of the connection of the guide member, there may be provided an extensible connection to one ofthe retaining members, this being. conveniently furnished by a spring section 46, which may either be formed in the wire itself or may be from especially resilient material joined thereto. 7 p

In supplying the heels to the machine,

' they are placed with their breasts in contact with the horizontal surface of the guideway 10, ust inside the portion 22 of the lever 16 and between the plate 26 and wire 30 at one side of the guideway and the opposite wall furnished by the templet support. The wire being adjusted to rest in contact with the breast ends of the heels along lines near their outer portions, it will be obvious that the tipping of said heels toward the wire will be. positively prevented, and, since the wire is under tension, it may be brought into such firm engagement with the heels that their displacement longitudinally of the guideway will also be guarded against. lVhile the wire guide is interposed between the follower ll and the heel seat ends of the heels with which it contacts, no interference results since the flexibility of the wire and the extension of the spring connection allows it to yield perfectly.

Having "thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Iuetters Patent of the United States is 1. In a machine for operating upon heels, a support, a feeding member arranged to move heels over the support, means for holding the heels during the operation, and a guide for the heels as theyare moved along the support, said guide being interposed between the holding means and the heels.

2. In a machine for operating. upon heels, a feeding member, movable means for holding the heels during the operation, and a guide for the heels actingthroughouttheir movement by the feeding member situated in the path ofthe holding means.

3; In a machine for operating upon heels, a support upon which the breasts of the heels operated upon I rest and over which they travel, means engaging the heelseat ends of the heels, and. guiding means eontacting with the upper portions of the heel seat ends and preventing them from tipping on the support during their travel.

4. In a machine for operating upon heels, a feeding member, a suppo-rt'over which the heels may be moved by the member, and a flexible guide member forcooperation with the heels in their movement along the support,

5. Ina machine for operating upon heels,

a feeding member, means for holding the heels during the operation, and a guide interposed between the holding means and heels and being constructed and arranged to conform to their cooperating surfaces.

6. In a machine for operating upon =heels, a feedi ngmember, means for holding the heels during the operation, and a flexible guide for the heels interposed between the holding means and the heels.

7. In a machine for operating upon heels, a feeding member, means for holding the heels during the operation, and a wire 1nterposed between the holding means and the heels.

8. In a machine for operating upon heels, a movable feeding member, a support over which a series of heels is moved by the member, and a guide sharing in the movement of the feeding member and extending from it along the entire series of heels.

9. In a machine for operating upon heels, a feeding member, a support over which a series of heels is moved by the member, and a wire extending from'the feeding member along the entire series of heels.

10. In a machine for operating upon heels, a feeding member, a support in contact with which the heels may be moved by the member, and a guide attached to the feeding member and extending along the support.

11. In a machine for operating upon heels, a feeding member, a support over which the heels may be moved by the member, a guide attached at one extremity to the feeding member, and a normally fixed member to which the opposite extremity of the guide is attached.

12. In a machine for operating upon heels, a feeding member, a support in contact with which the heels may be moved by the member, a guide cooperating with the heels, and an extensible connection for the guide.

13. In a machine for operating upon heels, a feeding member, a support over which the heels may be moved by the member, and a guide having a spring section and cooperating with the heels in their movement along the support.

14. In a machine for operating upon heels, a feeding member, a support in contact with which the heels may be moved by the member, and a guide having an extensible portion attached to the feeding member and extending along the support.

15. In a machine for operating upon heels, a feeding member, a support over which the heels may be moved by the member, a guide attached at one extremity to the feeding member, and a normally fixed member to which the opposite extremity of the guide is attached, there being a spring included in the guide between the points of attachment.

16. In a machine for operating upon heels, a feeding member, a support over which a series of heels is moved by the member, a wire extending from the feeding member along the entire series of heels, and means arranged for adjustment of the wire toward and from the heels.

17. In a machine for operating upon heels, a feeding member, a support over which the heels may be moved by the member, a guide attached at one extremity to the feeding member, said point of attachment being variable, and a normally fixed but adjustable member to which the 0pp0- site extremity of the guide is attached.

18. In a machine for operating upon heels, a support over which the heels may be moved, a feeding member cooperating with the heels, a. heel-guide extending along the support, a plurality of retaining members for the guide, and means arranged for ad justment in a plurality of directions of the connecting points between the guide and retaining members.

19. In a machine for operating upon heels, a support over which the heels may be moved, a feeding member cooperating with the heels, a flexible guide member extending along the support, and an adjustable retaining connection for each extremity of the flexible member.

20. In a machine for operating upon heels, a support over which the heels may be moved, a feeding member cooperating with the heels, a guide wire extending along the support, a bracket situated near one end of the support, and a member to which the wire is connected adjustable in the bracket with respect to its extension and angular position.

21. In. a machine for operating upon heels, a support over which the heels may be moved, a feeding member cooperating with the heels, and a guide wire having a variable connection with the feeding memher.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

CHARLES A. BLISS. 

